Another fare hike--really?! by Jasmine Nieves
On September 25, the MTA announced yet another bus and subway increase to take effect in March. The proposed plan will raise a single fare from $2.25 to $2.50, a 7- day metro card from $29 to $30, and a monthly metro card bumped from $104 to $109. The proposal also wipes out the 7 percent bonus now available to commuters.
It seems like dodging this train will be nearly impossible for students at a commuter school like CCNY. How do students feel about the hike?
“I just don’t think it’s fair. I’m commuting from Jackson Heights to City College, and it’s like I have tuition to payoff too. The last thing I should be worrying about is adding another ten dollars to my metro card,” says Alex Perez, 22, an aspiring director while staring at his metro card. “It’s like if they’re strapped for money, then why can’t it come out of their own damn pockets?”Junior Brenda Soloman 22, agrees. As she places her metro card inside her school bag while waiting for a downtown A train, she says, “I don’t think it’s right. The service sucks, so technically we are not getting our money’s worth.”Would Soloman consider driving to school? “Oh heck no," she says. "That wouldn’t even be an option.”While some students expressed negative reviews, others thought of the hike as a possibility for the MTA to step on the gas and provide faster buses and better trains.“Maybe because of the hike, the service will be better, and the buses and trains cleaner,” says Ruth Butruch.“Bottom line is that we’re New Yorkers, so we’ll complain about it now, but we’ll adjust to it in no time.”